Most people think of their pets as simple creatures because they act so loyal and innocent. However, research has shown that there is often much more to these animals than meets the eye. Reddit user Overt Operation started a viral thread, asking about the most "creepily intelligent things” people’s pets have ever done, and hundreds of responses started pouring in.
The thread gained even more traction when it was shared on Twitter. The well-known WholesomeMemes account shared the question, and the results were amazing. Of course, with so many responses, not all of them are gold.
So, we’ve compiled a list of the 40 best responses that are worth sharing!
Paper presents
This Twitter user and a proud rat owner shared how she was so touched by this sweet thing her rat did for her. Apparently, in order to comfort her, Pumpkin, the rat did something astonishingly adorable. The rat started by grabbing a grocery receipt and dropping it in her lap.
Pumpkin loved using paper for her nest, so she would usually keep any pieces she found for herself. But this time, instead of taking it to use in her own nest, she gave the precious paper to her owner in an attempt to comfort her. How sweet!
What more do you want?
This cat looks as if he is very annoyed with his owner. Mel, the cat, loves playing fetch using hair ties. Being the playful cat that he is, he went to his owner as if telling her that he wanted to play.
Unfortunately, his owner was too tired to go looking for hair ties to play with him. Without thinking about it, she told the cat to bring some ties so that they could go ahead and play. After a few minutes, Mel came back and surprised his owner with a cardboard sleeve of hair ties. Does he understand English?
Bless you!
Most cat owners are very much aware of the fact that felines can be grumpy. They enjoy their alone time and don’t like to be interrupted for no good reason. This is, perhaps, why Jei was caught off guard by his cat’s new habit. Jei would always check on his cat and say “bless you” when it sneezed.
It’s as if his cat got a hold of this habit. One day, this cat owner sneezed, and his cat came running to the rescue. Apparently, his cat was trying to pet him and ask if he was okay. Jei was surprised but also touched by his cat's random act of kindness.
The sweetest thing!
We couldn’t help but cry with happiness after we read about the wonderful thing this dog called Teddy did. Apparently, Twitter user @_DrKat, was feeling lonely after she lost her son. Since this was a hard time for her, she would often spend her time alone in bed rather than going out.
But her dog, Teddy, didn't want his owner to drown in sadness, so he did something about it. One day, as if asking his owner to play, he barked with all his might until she stood up from her bed. To her surprise, she saw a pile of his toys outside. These thoughtful gifts brought so much happiness into her heart.
A dog named Radio
Twitter user @sonicoffline took to social media to share how her dog, Radio, kept her company while she mourned for her sister. She cried so much that she was sure her tears could fill a reservoir. But Radio did everything to comfort her.
Radio banged his head against the door just so he could go inside her bedroom. He immediately hopped up on the bed and snuggled closer to his owner. This was a precious moment for Radio and this woman who had sadly lost her sister.
I’ll take care of you
Loki the cat has demonstrated that she is the purr-fect nurse. This cat owner took to social media to share her deep appreciation for little Loki. She shared how her cat would always come up and snuggle with her whenever she was sick.
As if her purrs had magical healing powers, Loki would snuggle up with Twitter user @iopele1, and anyone else in the house who was sick or sad. Despite having to go through multiple surgeries, this lady felt blessed because she always had Loki by her side.
A literal life-saver
As pet owners, we sometimes lose our tempers when our animal companions get into trouble. As much as we love them, they also sometimes get too playful. This cat offers an excellent example. He shocked his owner’s mom with a sudden attack.
Twitter user @diplomacywaffle’s mom was surprised when the cat bit her on the nose in the middle of the night. Of course, as an initial reaction, the mom was furious since she’d been woken in pain. However, the cat was actually trying to save her life since she was suffering from sleep apnea and had stopped breathing.
Get it together!
We all need someone who will help us pull ourselves together whenever we feel distracted and out of focus. It could be a family member or a close friend – just someone who will help you realize that there’s more to life than feeling sorry for yourself.
Though we all need someone to show us tough love from time to time, few people expect that tough love to come from a pet. This Twitter user’s cat wasn’t in the mood for drama, so he smacked his owner in the face to snap him back to reality.
I’m never watching that
We can totally relate to this cat. Who enjoys watching commercials? The incessant ad breaks can really get annoying, especially if you’re watching your favorite show and the commercial cuts in at the worst possible moment.
Truco loves watching documentaries any day of the week. He gets super close to the television and gazes up at it, transfixed. But just like us, he often leaves the room when the commercials show up. This cat knows not to waste his time on ad breaks!
Keep the doors closed, will you?
Did you know that even our pets have their own pet peeves? There are plenty of situations in which they feel annoyed. Take this cat named Harley Quinn, for example. Yes, she is named after the DC comic character.
At one year old, her owner wondered why Harley started crying at bedtime. She would meow and meow while her Mom couldn’t figure out what was happening. Then, she saw that the door wasn’t fully closed. After closing it completely, Harley kept quiet. She was a cat who knew what she wanted!
Forget about him
Emotional support animals are definitely heaven-sent. They are indeed very loyal and helpful. Twitter user @PhoebeP46 took to social media to share how proud she was of her dog. Whenever she felt like crying, Tyrion, the dog, would always come to the rescue to comfort his owner.
One time, his owner had a panic attack after seeing a photo of her abuser. Tyrion immediately came running and knew right away what to do. He took away the photo and chewed it to pieces. Good boy!
Clearing the evidence
Pets can get wild when they smell their favorite treats. Even if you hide the box in a place where they can’t reach it, they will go to great lengths to find a way to get at their treats. Talk about determination.
These two cats are exceptionally greedy when it comes to treats, but they are also clever and careful criminals. They know how to open the drawer where their treats are stored. However, they also understand the importance of hiding the evidence of their theft. So, they also close the treat box and the drawer.
Hello there, little human!
Apart from being loyal, dogs are also known for their friendliness. They love being out and about and meeting strangers. However, this dog got a little too excited to meet a tiny human. Though he scared the kid at first, the dog understood this and took remedial action.
Of course, the child was shocked to see the dog running at him and so started to cry. Thankfully, it didn’t take long before the child calmed down and petted the dog. This pup understood that he had scared the kid and so calmed down and crawled over to comfort him. How adorable!
The doggy lifeguard
Can dogs swim? A common misconception about dogs is that they can all naturally swim well. Most dogs will naturally paddle with their legs if they find themselves in the water. However, not every dog is a great swimmer or even knows how to swim at all.
Since her dog hated swimming, Twitter user @washedbear knew he was a hero when he dived into the lake to “rescue” her mother. After seeing the woman jump off of a pier, the dog put his hatred of swimming aside to ensure that she was safe. That’s real love.
Thank goodness you’re here
Most people have had more than their fair share of rough days at work. No matter how much we like what we do, there will always be days when we feel tired and not in the mood. When we need to let out our emotions, it can help to cry them all out.
This Twitter was crying silently in the basement after coming home from a rough day at work. For the first time, the cat that belonged to @RocknRollDragon’s fiance reached out to him. He was shocked because the cat had never made an effort to get close to him before – what a sweetheart.
A cat who loves to play fetch
Many cat breeds are known to enjoy fetching toys. Maine Coons, for instance, have a reputation for being playful and energetic. Any cat, however, can get into the mood to play if they’re in the right frame of mind.
This cat is more on the playful side than most. She loves playing fetch with paper balls. The problem is that she ends up knocking most of them under the furniture. Still, she never runs out of solutions. When out of toys, she’ll simply raid the office and bring back fresh sheets of paper to be crumpled into balls.
Dexter, the psycho-cat
Have you ever encountered a cat who hates women? This is a first for us too! However, Twitter user Sunny Night’s neighbor has a cat named Dexter, who seems to be a bit of a sexist. The cat’s mom is no exception. He even peed on her pillow – while she was using it!
Sunny Night described what it was like to take care of this psycho-cat while its owners were away. Upon entering the house, she could already feel the cat’s furious gaze on her. Since she was a little scared, she jokingly asked the cat if he hated her. To her surprise, Dexter nodded twice.
Healing purrs?
Nicole shared this story about her cat on Twitter. Jude the cat never left her side while she was recovering from leg surgery. The devoted cat even did his best to provide her with healing vibrations. Do cat purrs help heal bones faster?
The purr of a cat has been measured at between 25 and 140 Hz. A study published in The Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery found that these frequencies helped speed bone repair, joint repair, and tendon repair in cats. It’s possible that such frequencies might help to heal human bones as well.
I'll take care of you
A new study by Dr. Emily Sanford found that dogs can sense emotions. Her findings suggest that dogs know when their owners are feeling down and will try to help them feel better. At home, dogs can comfort their owners by bringing back objects, giving attention, or laying in their owner's lap.
When this Twitter user, @julie_mvp got into a car accident, her dogs lovingly comforted her. She shared that the moment she got home from the hospital, her two dogs immediately welcomed her with cuddles as they missed her so much.
Risking it all
Dogs may drag us from burning buildings, alert us to medical emergencies, battle intruders, and even take bullets for us, but what motivates them to risk their own lives for humans? Many people believe they love us. Others believe they are grateful.
Still others think they act out of an instinct to shield us from harm. It turns out that these theories are only partly correct: Dogs appear to empathize with our pain and discomfort, perhaps because of their evolutionary history as scavengers.
Halloween came early
This cat owner took to Twitter to share how her cat apparently loves giving gifts. User @TubbyBats recently had a discussion with her cat telling him that it’s bad to kill birds. As a peace offering, her cat gave her this Halloween mask. However, she wasn’t sure if it should be interpreted as a sweet present or a veiled threat.
If you have a cat who often leaves random things at your feet, you may have wondered, "Why does my cat bring me gifts?" Although some cats simply want to play with their favorite human, there are many reasons why your kitty might be making this gesture. If you’re curious, it may be best to speak to your vet.
What’s under the table?
Ever since Twitter user @Desspond was a child, their dog was always there to protect them. Growing up with autism, they loved to play alone, but their service dog was always there to make sure everything was okay. On this occasion, the dog proved just how important his companionship was.
Why do dogs protect children? It's because they're pack animals. A balanced dog knows that humans are the pack leaders and that its job is to watch over them. Just as adult dogs are very tolerant of puppy behavior, they understand that children are human "puppies," so the instinct to protect kicks in.
Always here to make you happy
Dogs really do have great senses, especially when their owners are feeling anxious or on the verge of a breakdown. This dog, for example, immediately came to the rescue, resting his head on his owner’s shoulder to make sure she wouldn’t feel alone.
Have you ever wondered if your dog can really tell when you’re sad? Dogs don't just feel bad when they see their owners cry. New research shows they can pick up on subtle feelings as well, making an effort to cheer their owners up, even when they reveal no outward signs of distress.
How do cats apologize?
As a kid, this Twitter user couldn’t help but pet every animal in their neighborhood, even strays. One time, a stray was roaming around their street, so she decided to pet her. However, the cat must’ve been surprised or injured as she bit the kid.
But the cat was quick to apologize. Cats are sensitive to the moods of other animals – humans included – and can understand body language. When a cat senses that a person it cares about is angry or disappointed, it will often try to make things right by offering attention, head-boops, or blink-eyes.
Gamer cat
There are certain cat breeds that are somewhat moody. They like to be alone all the time and couldn’t be more different from those who are very active and playful. Some cats like to play with their toys, but this cat prefers other ways of relaxing.
Instead of playing with cat toys, this cat apparently wanted to use the Playstation, so he figured out how to turn it on. This wasn’t enough, though. In order to use the Playstation, you need a working TV, so he also went ahead and turned it on. This clever cat was eventually caught by his owners trying to poke the joysticks.
Is that me?
The golden retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. This friendly and tolerant dog makes for a great family pet, and their intelligence makes them highly capable of working with humans. This purebred golden retriever named Sunny proves just how smart the breed can be.
Sunny’s owners were enjoying a regular day, watching shows in the living room with the dogs. A show about dogs came on, and then a scene with a golden retriever showed up on the screen. Confused, Sunny stood up and walked up to the TV. She seemed to be thinking, “why am I on the TV?”
Always with you
This Twitter user took to social media to reminisce about moments with her dog. She remembered how her dog loved being close to her no matter what. Though the pup got hot easily, she’d still sleep beside her owner whenever she was sad or depressed.
A recent study shows that dogs have an excellent ability to empathize with people. Though they don’t consciously process it, they can tell when you’re sad or stressed, and they will often attempt to comfort you. This is called emotional contagion.
A shoulder to lean on
This Twitter user shared yet another adorable moment with her dog. When her hamster died, she mentioned how her dog would always force herself onto her for hugs. Her dog got extra clingy and was doing everything just to make her owner feel better.
Support dogs have gone from helping people who are blind and autistic to just being calming companions. In fact, some are trained just to sit quietly with people, offering silent, nonjudgmental support. Dogs notice and intentionally respond to our emotions, and we all know what great comforts they can be.
No more bad days
Cats are known for their laid-back personalities, but they can also be sweet and clingy at times. Twitter user @TianquanNing shared how her cat immediately went to her after noticing that she was crying.
For cat lovers, there is nothing better than a cat snuggling up next to you. The warmth and coziness can take your mind off anything bad that happened during the day and put you in a good mood. Turning to cats for comfort makes us better people in the end.
The dog who never liked kids
This Twitter user recalled how her dog Nico became her best friend. Nico basically grew up with her until she turned 11. Unfortunately, the family had to let go of Nico since her mom was afraid of how Nico would react to the baby.
Border collies are highly trainable, intelligent dogs that excel in canine sports, including obedience, flyball, agility, and other dog games. They make great family pets as long as they get a lot of exercise and mental stimulation. It’s really sad that this family felt they had to let him go.
Always on standby
One Twitter user shared some funny stories about his pets' behavior in his house. He mentioned how his cat likes to jump on the counter. The dog felt like he had to do something about this. He would always notice how the family yelled at the cat, telling it to get off the counters.
So, that became the dog's role in the house. Their dog, as if on surveillance duty, would always watch the cat, especially when it was preparing to jump on the counter. He would be quick enough to stop and shoo him away.
Fake accident
Twitter user darkblue-eyes had a funny encounter with his cattle dog. One day, his dog was chasing the cat. As this kind of behavior can get quite annoying, he decided to stop them. But what his dog did next was definitely something he wasn’t expecting.
His dog pretended that he hurt his paw so that he wouldn't get in trouble. Of course, as an initial reaction, this dog owner got worried and started to panic. But then, his dog continued with his act and pretended to also hurt the other paw. That’s when the dog owner noticed that his dog was actually faking it.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Another comment that stood out from the rest was this story from user DefiantPossibility. He shared how they used to have a basset hound that had a stomach as tough as iron. She loved going into the trash bin as if looking for treasure.
In order to stop her, they removed the step stool out of the way so she wouldn’t be able to reach it. But still, she managed to raid the trash. The family couldn’t figure out how she was doing it until one day, they saw that their cat would knock over the trash for the dog.
The scary smartypants
User pro-ajumma shared that she once owned a scary-smart cat who used to open the kitchen cabinets and sit inside the pans. In an attempt to stop the cat, her husband bought a pack of baby-proofing latches to put on the cabinets.
As if carefully examining what the man was doing, the cat sat and watched while he installed the first one and tested it. To their surprise, their cat then reached over and flicked open the baby-proofed cabinet door on the first try, while maintaining eye contact.
Feed me, please
User lamiller0622 shared how the cat she had as a kid was very demanding. She would serve as the alarm clock to wake up her parents and would ask them to feed her right away. The cat would even leap up onto the dresser and threaten to knock stuff over if they were too slow in getting up.
She would try to knock over the watch of user lamiller0622’s father, gently pushing it closer to the edge of the dresser. Then, she would move her mom’s jewelry box closer to the edge as well. Her parents made sure to get up right away to prevent the jewelry box from shattering all over the floor.
Lazy but wise
User DickesEnde_r shared how his pet rat had a unique way of eating food. According to him, “Our family's pet rat, Rudi, was both intelligent and lazy. He always moved his food dish until it was just under the edge of his hammock.”
He continued, “Then he would lie in the hammock and let his head dangle over the edge into the food dish so he could eat while lying down.” What a clever way to eat, right? You can relax while enjoying your food. Good job, Rudi!
The story of the snowman
User PancakesxBacon’s dog has a favorite toy – a snowman in which you can hide treats. The more you play with it, the more the treats will come out. So, it is a very enjoyable toy for dogs.
One day, the dog figured out how it worked. When they were sleeping, PancakesxBacon’s husband suddenly heard pounding noises from outside. He went out to find out what was causing the noise, and to his surprise, the dog was running up the stairs to drop down his toy so that the treats would fall out as it fell.
The cat doctor
User giftedearth recalled how her cat suddenly became clingy with her mom one morning. The cat even went to her mom’s lap as she sat down on the sofa. They were surprised as this was a rare moment. Usually, the cat would just stay over on their dad’s lap.
Without any signs or warning, her mom’s heart suddenly started beating fast. The mom had tachycardia, and they had to go to the hospital immediately. It seems the cat was being fussy and clingy because she saw it coming.
Your secret is safe with me
User Gizmo_for_shizmo and his wife have two dogs. Both are very playful and active. They noticed that whenever they’re eating, their female dog will run to the door and let out a bark. Is there someone outside?
Of course, the male dog then dashes to the door as well to see if there really is someone out there. At this point, the female dog comes back to the table and begs for food. It’s as if she’s saying, “Give me the food, and I won’t tell the other idiot.”
The sweetest goodnight!
User rougish_knickers shared an open letter to her cat. She shared that she often suffers from night terrors. Her cat is the only one who can wake her up. The cat does this by laying down on her chest and extending his paws to her neck.
The cat gently kneads her skin while purring loudly in an attempt to wake her up. The Twitter user explained that the cat was not usually this affectionate. But whenever she got those nightmares, he would stay with her until she calmed down. How sweet!